


Summer Camping

by SurpassingMorning



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Camping, F/M, Fluff, Happy Adrien Agreste, How Do I Tag, Summer, Tom Dupain is a good parent, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-21 22:52:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11367297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SurpassingMorning/pseuds/SurpassingMorning
Summary: It's summer vacation, and Marinette and her friends are going camping. During this time, Marinette learns little facts about Adrien she never really noticed before.





	Summer Camping

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JustAFigment](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAFigment/gifts).



Marinette woke up bright and early one clear summer morning, practically bursting with excitement. Today was the day! She had been waiting for this for practically forever - today, she’d be going on a camping trip with her father and Alya and Nino and Adrien.  


She nearly exploded with joy just thinking about him; in one hour, she’d actually be in the same car with him, bound for a weekend camping trip in Versailles! Smiling at that thought, Marinette began to dig through her closet, trying to find the perfect outfit to wear - after all, she wanted to look her best in front of Adrien.  


“Good morning, Marinette.”  


Marinette looked up from her pile of clothes to see her red and black spotted kwami, Tikki, hovering over her shoulder. “O-oh! Good morning, Tikki.”  


“I guess today the day of the camping trip?” Tikki asked as she surveyed the mess of clothes scattered around the floor and piled at Marinette's knees.  


Marinette nodded enthusiastically. “Today's the day!” she cheered as she began to shift through the clothes with renewed vigour. “I’ve got to make sure everything's perfect!”  


“I’m sure you’ve got this,” Tikki replied encouragingly. She paused a moment before asking, “You did remember to tell Chat Noir, right?”  


“Yeah,” Marinette replied absentmindedly, holding up a ruffled white tank top to her chest before laying it on the bed, next to a pair of black leggings. “But he’s gone too. Queen Bee said she’ll cover for us, though. I told her I’d be gone for three days at most.”  


“That’s good,” Tikki commented as Marinette began to change. “I hope it’s not too much for her though.”  


Marinette finished by slipping on her favorite gray blazer. “I’m sure she’ll be fine,” she said as she bounded down the stairs for the washroom, a pink duffel bag in hand and a small backpack over her shoulder. “Queen Bee is a bit...dramatic, but I have complete faith in her.”

***

By the time Marinette was finished up in the washroom, her father, Tom Dupain, was in the kitchen with a tray of croissants in hand.  


“Good morning, Marinette,” he said cheerfully, holding out the tray. “Croissant? They’ve just finished cooling.”  


“Thanks, Dad,” Marinette said, plucking one off the tray. She dropped the flaky croissant on a plate, along with a cookie (at Tikki’s gentle nudging, of course) before sitting down at the counter. “So, who are we picking up first?”  


Her father hummed in thought as he placed the tray back onto the cooling rack. “We could pick up Alya first, since her house is close to the bakery,” he suggested. “Then Nino and Adrien?”  


Marinette thought about it for a moment as she absentmindedly crumbled the cookie into tiny pieces. If they did pick up Adrien and Nino second, she’d at least have Alya with her, and then she wouldn't look like a complete klutz and embarrass herself in front of Adrien.  


“Sounds good to me,” Marinette finally said, secretly slipping the cookie bits into her pocket, where Tikki was hiding.  


“Wonderful,” her father replied cheerfully as he sat down next to her. “Eat up, Marinette. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”  


“I’m glad we can go camping again,” Marinette remarked and took a bite of her croissant. Her eyes briefly flitted over to a framed photo of her younger self and her parents in front of a bonfire, roasting marshmallows. “If only Mom could have come too.”  


“Hey, someone needs to look after the bakery while we’re gone,” her father said warmly. “Summer is a peak time for our business after all.”  


“That’s true,” she replied nonchalantly as she slipped a few more cookie crumbs to Tikki.  


“Besides, your friends are coming,” her father paused before adding, “And I’m glad you invited Adrien as well - that boy looks like he could use a long break now.”  


Marinette thought back to a few weeks ago, when she had gone out to the movies with Alya and Nino. They had invited Adrien as well, much to his excitement, but he had called and cancelled at the last minute.  


“I’m so sorry,” he had said. “I had no idea my father scheduled another photo shoot right at this time - I told him and Nathalie about this, but I guess it couldn’t be avoided.”  


She had felt a dull sensation in her stomach upon hearing that. Adrien sounded so forlorn and resigned, as if it was an everyday occurrence - and it probably was, judging by Nino’s barely contained frustration.  


“I’m glad I did too.”

***

Alya was waiting outside her house by the time Marinette and her father showed up. As usual, she was idly tapping away on her phone.  


“Hey Alya!” Marinette chirped as she got out of the car.  


Alya nearly dropped her phone. “Oh, hey girl! How’ve you been?” she said, slipping her phone back into her shirt pocket.  


“Excited, of course. I mean - we’ve been planning this thing for forever,” Marinette laughed.  


“Especially since Adrien's coming?” Alya teased and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Marinette felt the blood rush to her cheeks and her ears grow hot. Had she been that over the top with her excitement? What if Adrien caught on the that - and he saw her as some crazy and clingy fangirl or worse? What if he was only going on this trip because of Nino and her father's cooking and he was only putting up with her? He wouldn't think like that, would he? Then again, it her crush (“It’s more than that,” her mind insisted) was something Alya already knew about...  


In her embarrassment, she nearly stepped on Alya's backpack. Luckily, Alya swiped it out of harm's way. “Relax, Marinette,” she said, slinging the backpack over her shoulders. “I was just teasing ya.”  


“I know,” Marinette sighed, her shoulders slumping as she helped Alya load her bags into the trunk. “But it's Adrien we're talking about - you know I turn into a blabbering klutz every time he’s around me.”  


Alya rolled her eyes and opened the car door. “You’ll be fine,” she assured. “Just keep your head on your shoulders - good morning, Mr. Dupain.”  


“Hello, Alya,” her father said cheerfully. “Are you excited to go camping? I know I am!”  


Alya grinned as her father pulled out of the driveway and back onto the road. “Yes I am!” she cheered, taking out her phone and waving it in the air. “And you can bet I’ll take lots of great pictures!”  


“Awesome,” Marinette said, grinning. A thought suddenly crossed her mind, and she asked, “Hang on - what about your Ladyblog?”  


“Huttopia has wifi in the camping lodge, right?” Alya pointed out, pushing up her glasses. “If I have some spare time to kill, I’ll post a short update and maybe a few pics.”  


“And keep up with Ladybug's activities?” Marinette suggested.  


Alya laughed. “Well, naturally.”  


A comfortable silence hung over the three until her father pulled up to the front gates of the Agreste mansion.  


“Girls?” he prompted, gesturing at the locked gates.  


“R-right,” Marinette stammered, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she got out of the car with Alya. From her pocket, she heard Tikki whisper an encouraging “You can do it!”  


“You can do the honors,” Alya said, gesturing to the intercom. Marinette nodded and took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell. Immediately, a security camera shot out of the side.  


“Yes?” Nathalie’s crisp voice answered.  


“Oh! I’m, uh, Marinette! Adrien’s classmate? We’re here to pick him and Nino up for the camping trip?” Marinette said nervously.  


There was a slight pause before the gates swung open. “You may go in,” Nathalie instructed.  


“Uh, thank you!” Marinette called out as she followed Alya into the mansion. Nathalie stood stiffly in the middle of the cool marble foyer.  


“Please wait here,” she instructed. “I’ll bring Adrien and his friend here in a minute.”  


As Nathalie left, Alya turned to Marinette. “Is it just me, or does this place kind of feel like a prison?” she whispered.  


Marinette looked around. The entire room was made of polished black and white marble, with a few pieces of furniture on the sides. A large portrait of Gabriel Agreste and Adrien hung over the steps, looming over the entire foyer.  


“I guess it’s the portrait,” Marinette whispered back. “Mr. Agreste looks so...cold.”  


“Yeah,” Alya agreed. She gestured at Adrien’s figure. “Adrien doesn’t look too happy either.”  


At that moment, Nathalie returned with Adrien and Nino in tow. A butler trailed behind them, carrying their luggage.  


“Hey dudes! Y’know who’s pumped for this trip?” Nino cheered, pointing at himself. “This dude!”  


“Hey guys,” Adrien added with a small wave. “Thanks for inviting us.”  


“It was no problem,” Marinette said, giggling nervously.  


“Wow, you guys packed a lot of snacks,” Alya remarked, gesturing to the shopping bag Nino took from the butler.  


“Hell yeah! What’s camping without the snacks?” Nino asked. He held up the bag and shook it slightly. “I brought chips, trail mix, popcorn, beef jerky…”  


“That’s...a lot,” Adrien said uneasily as they left the mansion. “Do you think we can finish them all in three days?”  


Alya raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so,” she said.  


“That’s not the point,” Nino replied, crossing over to the car trunk. “The best thing about it is we can experiment and make sooo many different mixes with them. Marinette, you brought the smores ingredients, right?”  


“Mhm? Yeah,” Marinette said absentmindedly as she helped Alya, Nino, and Adrien place their tent into the cramped trunk. “I didn’t forget.”  


“Hello Adrien, Nino,” her father said as the four got into the car.  


“Thanks for inviting us,” Adrien said. Beside him, Nino nodded in agreement.  


Her father laughed, “It’s nothing, son. I’m glad you could come along.”  


“I guess my father decided I need a vacation too,” he said, shrugging.  


As they pulled onto the autoroute, Alya spoke. “You know, Marinette made all the smores crackers by hand.”  


“Dude, no way,” Nino blurted. “Really? That’s awesome!”  


Adrien smiled. “That’s great,” he said. “I can’t wait to try them.”  


Marinette felt her heart flutter. “T-thanks,” she said quickly. “We also brought cookies and bread - from our bakery of course.”  


“By the way,” Alya began. “Mr. Dupain, how long it the ride to Huttopia?”  


Her father scanned the GPS on the dashboard. “I believe it will be just over an hour and half, not counting the lunch break” he responded. “Not too long.”  


“Well then,” Nino said, leaning back on his seat. “Anyone up for a game of Never Have I Ever?”  


“What’s that?” Adrien asked.  


Nino grinned. “Well, it’s an American party game, and it…”

***

“Alright. Never have I ever…” Alya paused dramatically. “Skipped school.”  


Marinette groaned and put down her last finger. That was the third time she lost the game to one of Alya’s questions - no surprise though, since she was a budding reporter and blogger after all. Behind her, Adrien did the same.  


“My turn!” Nino exclaimed. “Never have I ever… uh… broken a bone!”  


Marinette was suddenly reminded of a rather painful memory that included a dare and a very awkward trip to the hospital. She shuddered.  


“Ah, damn,” Alya sighed and put down her finger. “There goes my last point.”  


“Hah! Victory is mine!” Nino crowed. He took a chip from a bag he had brought on board. “I didn’t know you broke a bone.”  


Marinette and Alya glanced at each other. “It’s a long story,” Alya said. “Let’s just say I fell off a bicycle.”  


Adrien opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, her father announced, “Kids, we’re here.”  


Four pairs of eyes immediately focused on the windows. Marinette rolled down the window a little and inhaled the fresh woody air. They passed by towering beech trees, small wooden chalets, and roulottes. She even saw a swimming pool and a restaurant in the distance.  


“Wow, this place really does have everything,” Adrien remarked, resting his hand on the window sill. “Where are we staying?”  


“Campsite nine, I believe,” her father informed him. “Ah, here we are.”  


He stopped next to a dirt clearing, surrounded by beech trees and opposite to a cluster of chalets. A fire pit with a battered and dirty brazier stood in the middle. Marinette got out and stretched; her leg felt cramped from sitting for a while, and her back ached from her constant turning. She also opened her pocket flap, letting Tikki take a breath of fresh air.  


“What time is it?” she asked, turning to Alya. Alya took out her phone.  


“One o’clock,” Alya reported. She shrugged and slipped her phone back into her pocket. “I guess we can take this time to set up.”  


“Right you are, Alya.”  


Marinette turned to see her father lay out three identical grey tent bags on the ground. “Does everyone know how to set up a tent?” he asked, looking around.  


Alya shook her head. Adrien and Nino looked at each other before giving identical sheepish shrugs.  


“I haven’t gone camping since I was five,” Nino said.  


“This is my first time camping,” Adrien added, scratching his head. “Do you think you could show us?”  


“Of course,” her father said pleasantly, winking at Marinette. “Marinette, how about you show Adrien here how to set up a tent? I’ll work with Nino and Alya.”  


Marinette felt her ears grow hot. She...she was actually going to work with Adrien? Oh, it must be a dream. Definitely a dream - a very good dream. Taking a deep breath, she pinched herself just to make sure. Nope, this was actually happening.  


“Hey Marinette,” Adrien said, crossing over to where she was standing. “Where do we start?”  


That snapped Marinette out of her daze. “Right! First, we need to, um, get the tent.” She went to pick up the bag, but Adrien got to it first. He handed it over to her with a smile.  


Feeling a little more confident with his reaction, Marinette continued, “Now, we have to lay out a tarp. That should protect the tent from dirt and rain.”  


Adrien scanned the campsite. “Would there be a good place?” he asked, pointing to a patch of ground to the right of the fire pit.  


Marinette turned to look. It looked fine - dry and flat, with no rocks or large pieces of wood that might cause problems. However, it was not shaded at all.  


“I don’t think so,” she said at last. Seeing Adrien’s confused look, she explained, “It might cause problems if it’s hot - it happened to us one year, and our tent became a sauna. Believe me, sleeping in a hot tent is horrible.”  


Adrien laughed, and Marinette couldn’t help but to internally squeal at how at ease and happy he sounded. “I’d think so too,” he said. He looked around, finally pointing at a spot just to the left of where her father, Alya, and Nino were setting up. It was shaded with a cluster of branches and looked fairly flat.  


“Great one, Adrien,” she praised. “Let’s get started.”  


After they laid out the tarp on the ground, Marinette opened the bag and took out the tent. As she flattened it out, she asked, “Adrien? Could you please grab the tent pegs from the bag? They’re the ones that look like metal hooks.”  


Adrien fished them out quickly. “So, do we have a hammer to push them in, or…?”  


“No. They're sturdy enough so that we can just push them into the ground.” She took one of the pegs from Adrien, and pointed to a loop on a corner of the tent. “All we have to do is thread the peg through the loop, then push it down on a slight angle, like so.” Swiftly, she pushed the peg down, so that it such out of ground, slightly tilted.  


“Oh, it’s pretty straightforward,” Adrien remarked, rolling up his sleeves. “Do you want me to do the rest?”  


“Yeah! Thanks Adrien,” she said, smiling. As Adrien fastened the tent down with the pegs, Marinette took out the tents poles and uncollapsed them.  


“You’re really good at this,” Adrien commented. “You’ve gone camping a lot, right?”  


Marinette fumbled with the pole she was threading through the tent sleeve.  


“Yeah! My parents and I used to go camping a lot,” she replied.  


Adrien cocked his head. “What made you stop?”  


Marinette paused for a moment. “Our bakery was picking up some business,” she said. “And I found other activities to keep me busy, like fashion designing.”  


“I remember that,” Adrien recalled. “You designed the derby hat for one of my photo shoots, right?”  


“Yep, that’s the one,” Marinette said as she locked the poles into place. “What...what did you think of it?”  


“I liked it,” Adrien said earnestly. “It was unique enough to stand out, but normal enough to blend in.”  


Marinette preened a little at his compliment. “I-I’m glad you liked wearing it,” she said, getting up. “Anyways, now, we need to raise the tent. So all we have to do is take the poles and lift them up...”  


Adrien nodded and grabbed a sleeved pole that was opposite to hers. They raised up the tent before Marinette took a step back and straightened it.  


“Is this it?” Adrien asked.  


Marinette shook her head. “We still have to put on the fly tent.”  


“What’s a fly tent?”  


Marinette pulled out a grey piece of cloth from the bag. “This,” she said. “It’s to protect the tent from rain.”  


Adrien wordlessly took one side of the cloth, and together, he and Marinette covered and fastened the fly to the tent.  


“Well, that’s done,” Adrien said, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Thanks for teaching me, Marinette.”  


“Ah, it was no big deal,” Marinette reassured. At that moment, her father, Alya, and Nino came over.  


“Nice job, Marinette, Adrien,” he praised as he surveyed their handiwork. “Now that we have our tents set up, we can each choose one.”  


“You can take the tent, Marinette,” Adrien offered, gesturing to the tent. “You set it up.”  


Marinette shook her head. “No, you can take it,” she insisted. “You helped...and it’s the first tent you’ve ever set up!”  


Adrien looked at her uneasily. “Are you sure?” he asked cautiously.  


“For sure!” Marinette exclaimed, nodding her head vigorously. “If - if Alya doesn’t mind. Alya?”  


“Huh?” Alya whipped her head towards them, confused. Then she saw Marinette and Adrien next to the tent, and a knowing smile spread across her face. “Oh, I don’t mind. Marinette and I can take the tent next to your’s and Nino’s.”  


“Thanks, Marinette,” Adrien said, giving her a dazzling smile. “I’ll go tell Nino.”  


“N-no problem,” Marinette replied with a sappy smile on her face.  


Alya smiled and shook her head.  


“What do you think about going swimming?” Alya asked as they took their duffel and sleeping bags from the trunk.  


Marinette stared at her, halfway reaching for her backpack. “What do you mean?”  


“Well, Nino and I were talking, and we thought about going to the swimming pool sometime this afternoon,” Alya informed her. “I was wondering if you’d like to come along. We asked your dad already - he said it was alright.”  


“Is Adrien coming too?” Marinette asked nervously. She unzipped the tent flap and climbed in. Alya followed.  


“I think he might,” Alya said. She peeked over the tent flap. “In fact, he’s asking him right now, by the looks of it.”  


“Um…” Her eyes flitted down to Tikki, who smiled in encouragement.  


“C’mon, Marinette,” Alya said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. “You’re fine. You were able to talk to him just fine while you guys were setting up the tent, right? This isn’t too different.”  


“Alright,” Marinette relented. “Let’s just get set up first.”  


Alya smiled.

*** 

“Are you sure this is fine?” Marinette asked, tugging at her white cover up. “Is it too plain? Or maybe it’s too short. No, ugh, what about my bikini? He won’t think I’m weird for having a ladybug patterned swimsuit, would he?”  


Alya rolled her eyes.  


“You’re over-reacting again, Marinette,” she said, slipping on her own cover up. “Besides, Adrien’s probably the biggest Ladybug fanboy in Paris. I’m pretty sure that he’ll be more interested if you wore a ladybug pattern.”  


Marinette looked at her and took a deep breath. “You’re right, Alya,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Guess I let my nerves get the best of me again, haha.”  


“That’s the spirit,” Alya said encouragingly. She grabbed her backpack and unzipped the tent flap again. “C’mon, go get ‘em, girl.”  


“Ready to go, dudes?” Nino asked once they got outside. Marinette noticed that Adrien wore basketball shorts instead of swimwear.  


Marinette looked around, only to find her father and the car missing. “Where’s my dad?”  


“He said he needed to go pick up some firewood for the campfire tonight,” Nino replied as they left the campsite. “That reminds me - he asked us to be back before six.”  


The quartet trudged along the dirt road in silence until they reached the swimming pool. Loud shrieks of laughter rang out in the air, and small children splashed in the pool while adults lounged on the deck.  


“We should meet up at the change rooms by six,” Marinette said. “Sounds like a plan?”  


Everyone nodded in agreement.  


“Whelp, I’m just gonna go put my stuff down, then it’s the pool for me!” Nino cheered, strolling past them.  


“I think I’ll just go get some sun,” Alya said, nudging Marinette’s arm. “I’ll be at on of the deck chairs if you guys need me.”  


“Okay!” Marinette turned to Adrien. “What about you, Adrien?”  


Adrien laughed nervously. “I’m not much of a swimmer, actually,” he admitted. “It’s not my strong point.”  


“Oh. That’s fine. I wasn’t feeling like swimming that much anyways! What about a snack instead?” Marinette suggested. Inside, she felt her heart pick up the pace and her knees shake a little.  


“I’m up for that.”  


As the two walked side by side to the snack bar, Marinette tried to give herself a pep talk.  


‘Calm down, Marinette. Just talk to Adrien like he’s a normal guy - well, he is one. You know, like he’s Nino or Nathaniel or dad and not like he’s some super hot model with beautiful emerald eyes and silky - No! Stop! You’re doing it again! Just remember what Alya and Tikki said. Stay calm, and I can do it.’  


“So...first vacation of the summer?” Marinette asked, trying to sound casual.  


“Try first real break in three years,” Adrien said with an uneasy laugh.  


Marinette drew a sharp breath. Adrien hadn’t had a proper break in two years? She understood that a model’s life was most likely hectic and stressful, with all the photoshoots and maintenance and everything, but three years? Surely Gabriel Agreste understood that Adrien was just a teenager too?  


“Well...I’m glad you could join us,” Marinette replied. “I can’t wait for you to try a campfire. It’s the best part of the whole experience.”  


“Really?” Adrien pressed. “How?”  


Marinette tapped a finger on her chin. “For one, you get to roast marshmallows in the fire. It also creates a great atmosphere - I mean, nights are cold and dark, and having a light kind of gives you a sense of comfort.” Smiling, she added. “And it’s a great place to tell stories.”  


“Guess I’ve missed out on a lot, huh?” Adrien asked melancholically. He swung opened the glass doors to let Marinette into the parlor, then himself. “I didn’t even know.”  


“Well, you’re here now,” Marinette said warmly. She felt a twinge of sadness run through her. To have been kept away from experiences like this...she had a newfound appreciation for her mother and father, who encouraged her to try everything. “And it’s more than enough time to fill you in.”  


“I’m excited then,” Adrien said. He stopped for a moment to scan the menu board. “Hey, uh, what kind of ice cream flavour do you recommend?”  


“I like cookie dough,” Marinette admitted. “But strawberry and chocolate come in a close second. Why?”  


There was a glint in Adrien’s eyes, not unlike Chat’s, as he spoke. “I haven’t had ice cream in a really long time. Because of…” he trailed off awkwardly.  


Marinette understood. “If you like sweets, I’d recommend something like cotton candy,” she began. “Or if you like tangy, lemon. Or if you prefer fruity, I’d say raspberry and strawberry.”  


“What about that one?” Adrien asked, pointing to a tub full of oreo chunks and vanilla ice cream.  


“That’s cookies and cream. It’s made with oreo cookies, if you like them.”  


“I’ll take that one,” Adrien said quickly.  


They stepped up to the counter to order. Adrien ended up getting a double scoop, while Marinette chose a single scoop of cookie dough.  


“This is delicious,” Adrien sighed. He slipped a five euro note to the cashier before taking another lick. “It’s so creamy and melts on your tongue. The oreos are a nice burst of flavour too.”  


Marinette giggled. He reminded her a little of Chat, whenever he’d see her. She hoped that, wherever he was, Chat was having a good time as well.  


“C’mon,” she said. “Let’s go find Alya.”

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the mlsummer2k17.  
> First work ^^. I'm not sure if everyone's in character -_-, so please let me know if you think or don't think so!  
> Did it end too abruptly? Let me know if you want this to continue!  
> Constructive criticism is welcome!


End file.
